The protest committee may appoint observers, including protest committee members, to act in accordance with rule P1.2. A person with a significant conflict of interest shall not be appointed as an observer.

An observer appointed under rule P1.1 who sees a boat breaking rule 42 may penalize her by, as soon as reasonably possible, making a sound signal, pointing a yellow flag at her and hailing her sail number, even if she is no longer racing. A boat so penalized shall not be penalized a second time under rule 42 for the same incident.

When a boat is first penalized under rule P1.2 her penalty shall be a Two-Turns Penalty under rule 44.2. If she fails to take it she shall be disqualified without a hearing.

When a boat is penalized a second time during the regatta, she shall promptly retire. If she fails to do so she shall be disqualified without a hearing and her score shall not be excluded.

When a boat is penalized a third or subsequent time during the regatta, she shall promptly retire. If she does so her penalty shall be disqualification without a hearing and her score shall not be excluded. If she fails to do so her penalty shall be disqualification without a hearing from all races in the regatta, with no score excluded, and the protest committee shall consider calling a hearing under rule 69.2(a).

If a boat is penalized under rule P2.2 or P2.3 and it was not reasonably possible for her to retire before finishing, she shall be scored as if she had retired promptly.

If a boat has been penalized under rule P1.2 and the race committee signals a postponement, general recall or abandonment, the penalty is cancelled, but it is still counted to determine the number of times she has been penalized during the regatta.

A boat shall not be given redress for an action by a member of the protest committee or its designated observer under rule P1.2 unless the action was improper due to a failure to take into account a race committee signal or a class rule.

Rule P5 applies if the class rules permit pumping, rocking and ooching when the wind speed exceeds a specified limit.

1. The race committee may signal that pumping, rocking and ooching are permitted, as specified in the class rules, by displaying flag O before or with the warning signal.
2. If the wind speed becomes less than the specified limit after flag O has been displayed, the race committee may postpone the race. Then, before or with a new warning signal, the committee shall display either flag R, to signal that rule 42 as changed by the class rules applies, or flag O, as provided in rule P5.2(a).
3. If flag O or flag R is displayed before or with the warning signal, it shall be displayed until the starting signal.

After the starting signal,